Truss head and mounting therefor



Oct. 6, 1953 MlLLER 2,654,366

TRUSS HEAD AND MOUNTING THEREFOR Filed D80. 27, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l W w A INVENTOR.

o n 4* 344 B m E ATTORNEY Oct. 6, 1953 F. B. MILLER 2,654,366

TRUSS HEAD AND MOUNTING THEREFOR Filed Dec. 27, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. FRED B./7/L LEI? WW I Patented Oct. 6, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TRUSS HEAD AND MOUNTING THEREFOR Fred B. Miller, Hagerstown, Md.

Application December 27, 1950, Serial No. 202,855

7 Claims.

This invention relates to trusses and especially to improvements in truss heads or pads and their supporting and positioning appendages.

More particularly, the present invention is concerned with improvements in heads of the type designed to protect a double hernia, and in supporting belts and appended leg straps for use in association with the heads.

It is the primary object of my invention to devise a truss head having a suspension attachment which permits comfortable mobility of the torso and legs, with automatic adjustment of the parts of the truss head but yet without releasing those parts from positions for application of holding contacts with the ruptured portions of the body. In this connection, it is especially desirable to form the head of two flexibly interconnected soft pads, with the novel attachment fastened to the interconnecting member in such manner that the pads may adjust themselves somewhat independently of belt movement without, however, losing their dependence upon the belt for proper support.

Another major object of the present invention resides in the provision of an improved belt for the support of many types of trusses but that is particularly designed for connection to a truss head of the type above mentioned. This belt further is fashioned for connection with the improved leg straps of my invention.

A further important object is to provide improved leg straps, especially for use in association with the belt just mentioned.

It will be seen, therefore, that the present invention contemplates a novel assembly of improved parts, each contributing something to the whole and all designed to afford the utmost comfort and protection to the afllicted wearer of the truss.

The foregoing and other important objects of the invention should become readily apparent from a study of the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a view somewhat in perspective of a complete assembly of the trusshead and its supporting belt, with a leg strap added to show one mode of strap attachment;

Fig. 2 represents a fragmentary section taken vertically along line 2--2, Fig. 1, with belt detached.

Fig. 3 is a view, truss head detached, looking forwardly from the inside of the belt;

Fig. 4 is a view looking downwardly on Fig. 3 along the line 4-4;

Fig. 5 represents a cross section taken on line 5-5, Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a face view of a modified arrangement for joining the leg straps to the belt;

Fig. '7 is a sectional view taken on line 1--1 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a rear or inside view of the strap hookup of Fig. 6;

Fig. 9 illustrates another modified form of strap connection;

Fig. 10 represents a section taken along line ill-40, Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a face view of an arrangement alternative to that of Fig. 9;

Figs. 12 and 13 show modifications in the manner of attaching leg strap hooks to the belt;

Fig. 14 is a detail view looking at the back of one of the belt ends of Fig. 13; and

Fig. 15 shows a section taken along line |5-l5 of Fig. 14.

With continued reference to the drawings where like numerals are used throughout to designate identical parts, and with particular reference first to Figs. 1-5, the truss head is indicated generally by the numeral 20, and its supporting belt is indicated in entirety by the numeral 21.

The illustrated head comprises two laterally separated pads 22, having inclined recesses or cut-outs as shown to impart flexibility thereto and integrally joined by a bridge 23. The entire head preferably is formed of a smooth, resilient and flexible material such as soft rubber or imitation thereof so that the pads may twist, bend and flex individually as well as relative to each other.

A screw 24 is utilized at the exact center of the bridge 23 to secure the apertured inner ends of a pair of metal (or plastic) clip elements 25 to the head; and a thimble 26, preferably fibrous, may be embedded in the bridge to augment the holding action of the screw. The connection is a frictional one, the clip ends being pressed together and against the base of a special bushing 21 so that they may swing about the pivot independently of each other as well as unitarily. This entire arrangement is a highly important feature of the invention as it permits considerable mobility of the pads and allows them to automatically adjust themselves relative to the adjacent portions of the anatomy. For example, if the wearer gets up or down, or crosses or uncrosses his legs, the pads will remain properly applied to the afflicted parts with just the right amount of holding pressure for protection of the hernia. All of this can better be seen from the following description of the supporting belt.

The illustrated belt has at its meeting front ends a pair of U-shaped hooks 28 that readily slip-snap into connection with the bent ends of the clips 25. These hooks are secured at the inside of the belt by pairs of rivets 29, The belt body preferably has a pair of soft fabric liners 30 which extend from the ends to points behind the hips, the purpose of these liners being to give comfortable abdominal support and to absorb perspiration. They are stitched to a double walled belt.. proper 3.2, that completely encircles the wearersrbbdji. The. stitches; are in lines as that are vertical and substantially separated so as to form open spaces between each pair of lines for the purposes of ventilation and of augment ing the flexibility of the belt;

Leg straps 34 of soft fabric are detachably connected to clip-s 35 and 36 by hooks '3? and 3 8'- respectively, the hooks 38 including adjustment,

buckles as shown. Rivets 39 secure the clips to the belt so that the clips may swing about the axes of the rivets. For-convenience of illustration,- only one of the stra s is shown;

, Aslight modification of stra h'ozik-up' isiseeri in Figs.- 6-8- wherein the elements 35 and 311 are eliminated and the forward ends of the straps (fl'tilare permanently attached to the belt ends (30a) by the same rivets that anchor the hooks 28.

Still another form of hook-up issh'own in Figs. 9* and P0 wherein a modified leg strap" 341i is hooked at one end to a clip 35 and is previded at its other ficiwith a loop Ml that. is slidable along the belt for comfortinga'dji'istm'e'ni'y.- Here, as-

6-8, there is no possibility of the strap becorriing accidentally and completely detached rromthe belt.- In this form it" also will be noted that the clip 35* is secured by one of the rivets ofthe heck 2-8.-

In Fig. 11 the arrangement of Fig. 9 is" reversed; the loops 40 being slidable along the extremities of the" belt and the other ends (not seen-) hooked to reairwardly disposed clips. Conceivably} both ends of the straps might have leo sabut this would make" it rather awkward to complete and apply the assembly to theLbOdY of the wearer.

12 illustrates an arrangement where: the clips 35 are attached near the upper edge of the beli'g' thus locating their lower extremities intermediate the? belt edges. This might also be done with the clips; 36' but normally they will occupy a pesitienas' seen in Fig. The advantage" of this-a-ri'a'ngemeniiis that in some instances", where desirable because of anatomical shape or posture, the front (K the belt is tilted downwardly and-in- Shoulcl it be des'ired to hinge the clips 35 at a level,- it is necessary only to turn? the belt of Fig. 1-2 upside down and reverse it: end for end, and thenswing the cl-ipsthro'u'gh 1'80 deg-Trees. All of this is; illustrated in Figs} 1345. Figs: 14 and 15': also correspond to Fig. 12. exceptfor the position-of adjustment of the clip;

The-marine? of use of the disclosed tr-uss as"- sembi'y' should now be ob v ieusa- One of the head clips 2 5 i'shooked to it's erid oi 'tl iebelt, the latter is swung around thewaistand -then the other clip isi'connecte di to its hook. ljuiing' this-prb'ceduie each strap may be suspended at one end and subsequently passed aroundthe thigh for cemplet'i'figf the connection; or, where fully detach- 231616 the strapsin'iaybe initianyse arate and's'ubseque'nt'ly applied. {is an alternative arrange ment the elements 25 might be ermanently attached to a belt that is" split only at'the lo'cus oi 4 girth adjustment and the latter used just like an ordinary belt buckle to apply the belt.

What is claimed is:

1. In a truss assembly, a belt, a head comprising a pair of soft and resilient pads joined by an integral flexible element, a single pair of identical clip elements each always pivotally connected for, free. movement at one. end-at a common point to saidbridge thother en s ofi saiidxclip elements having connections to said belt, whereby mobility of. the pad is afforded relative to the belt.

2. A truss belt structure having means at its ends? fdr eonseetieii to a truss head, a pair of clips swingingly mounted on the belt adjacent its" ends, and a second pair of clips, swingingly mountedorr the belt: at sufiicient distance from saidends to permit leg straps to be added to the coiribifialtion.

3. In the structure defined in claim 2, at least one" of said pair-sot: clips being pivotallyattached close" to one side edge eff the belt, whereby the latter canbe reversed and the clips shifted. I degreesto permit: connection or? the: leg sti aps at di-firerit level;

4 a; truss assembly, a belt having hooks at its ends for ceiirle'ctiom w ahead, clips mohlited with said hooks, saidcl ip's swingable relativew saidhooks and designed fol connection to leg straps-i and a pai r of leg straps each connected at one end one of said clips;

5. A truss beltstriiiiufie'coniprisii ig 'awide belt having means at its ass for eenneetien to a truss head, and a ear or dipsiemenneetion to the usualsuspended lee straps, saidclipsbeingpivotal-l y attached to the belt lo's toefie side edge of the belt and adjacent the ends trier-ear, whereby the belt; can he raver-sea smiths clips sl iif-teel degrees to permit eom ie'ctioh (if the leg straps at a different ever.

6. A- truss head com risin a pair or Qibstafi tia-lly identical pa d-S symiaecnesiiy air-ran ed and integrally joined by a flexible-Midge at single pivotal element carried by said bridge ifia? plane substantially m dway between saiigf pads, a pair of cli'lcis freely swingabie vertically afi'd in dependen'tly ofeach other pivotal: sleimenc while the ea ihuse, said designed for intreonneceng the ends of a siipportifig belt.

7. In a truss sssenreiy; a and: leg strap combination comprising relatiteiy wine belt having at" its ends for 66'- a head, leg straps eachwifi one eiid liavirig a 1661i siidatie aiong onset the extremities or the belt, the other said strapsbeihg; earned by said belt at remote sai et'trefifitlsg s'a'iid means comprising hard elements that prdjeet beyond the surraces or the belt eiids;v si id loops being slidable over said elements. H 

